Clamping tool for stiff wire clips



April 21, 1970 w. T. CRABB 3, 0 5

CLAMPING TOOL FOR STIFF WIRE CLIPS Filed Aug. 24, 1967 WIZLIAM I: CRABB,

INVENTOR.

ATTDRHEY United States Patent Ofifice 3,507,305 CLAMPING TOOL FOR STIFF WIRE CLIPS William T. Crabb, 4989 Massachusetts Ave., Indianapolis, Ind. 46226 Filed Aug. 24, 1967, Ser. No. 663,031 Int. Cl. B211? 1/00 US. Cl. 140-106 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A clip-clamping hand tool, as for attaching link fencing to a supporting post, the tool attaining a tight connection of a C-shaped wire attachment clip to the supporting post by the tool being formed so as to forcefully engage the front or overlying portion of the clip wire to take up any slack in the clip wire and deform its unsupported portion, as an incident to the tools bending over of the clipends rearwardly of the post front-face but while the tool holds those clip-ends relative to the post.

In contrast to many installations of residential or other fencing in which there is used a horizontal spanning member along the top edge of the fencing, such highway fencing does not go to the expense of such a horizontal spanning bar; and thus, in such highway fencing, the connection of the chain link fencing to the upright posts must sustain the weight of the fencing as well as hold the fencing to the posts in opposition to any force which would cause a lateral movement of the fencing. Accordingly, it is quite important, particularly in this type of highway fencing installations, that the attachment of the fencing to the upright posts be particularly tight.

The upright posts in such installations are generally of an H-shape in cross-section, with the fencing being in a plane parallel to the parallel legs of the H shape. Such posts are usually spaced several feet apart; and thus each post, and the connection thereto of the fencing, must support a considerable weight of fencing.

Moreover, it is common that the grade-marks or height-designators are marked (as by chalk or similar mark) onto the finish side of the fencing installation, the finish side being that side as seen by the most users, and the side of the post against which the fencing lies; thus it is an advantage to permit the labor of the fencing installation to be performed from the finish side so that those grade-marks may be easily seen by the installers.

Further, an advantage of installing from the finish side is that the installation workmen may continuously be on the road-way side of the fence, without having to crawl back and forth over a fence several feet high and with an exposed rough edge on the top, in connection with their work or rest periods. The crawling over is quite a nuisauce, is inconvenient, and in fact somewhat of a hazard.

In spite of the advantage of being able to perform the installation-work from the finish side, certain other connection-methods are operated by the workman applying the connector-clips from a position on the opposite or rough side of the fence.

Patented Apr. 21, 1970 Further by way of background, it should be noted that in making installations of fencing, it is often that a considerable span may be erected prior to the final inspection and approval of that span. Thus, if a span has not been connected to the uprights with sufficient tightness, and if the fencing span is thereupon rejected, a very considerable expense is required in re-Workirrg the span to obtain the required amount of connectiontightness. Moreover, the labor crew is disheartened, with a lowering of crew morale.

Speed of installation is of course a desired goal, and this striving for speed and correspondingly lower erectioncost has apparently tended with certain connection-methods to cause an unsatisfactory performance of the connection-task; yet, on the other hand, if quality of the connection is to be fully assured by those other connection-methods, erection-speed is relatively low.

Particular problems of performing the connection-task also include the fact that the clip, which is of a general C-shape, is formed from quite stiff wire rod stock, so that it will hold a tight connection. Moreover, the mesh-size of the fencing, and the width of the H-post flange, are such that there is relatively little working room for the applying tool between the sides of the post-flange and the next adjacent portion of the fencing mesh.

Accordingly, concepts of the present invention provide a hand tool whose use assures a relatively tight and satisfactory clamping of the connector-clips, yet with a relatively high degree of speed. Moreover, the concepts provide a tool which is readily and conveniently usable, and whose operation is readily and easily learned even by an unskilled workman or working crew. Further, the concepts provide a tool whose use permits the workman to stand on the finish side of the fencing while performing the connection-task, and which wholly avoids any need for him to be on the rough side of the fencing for any phase of the connection-task.

The above description is somewhat introductory and generalized, the emphasis in this introductory section having been upon the background and setting of the invention, and commenting upon problems involved in the task to which the invention relates; and further details, concepts, and advantages of the invention will be further mentioned in the following, more detailed description of an embodiment illustrating the inventive concepts, taken in conjunction with the accompanying somewhat schematic and diagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a fencing installation, as seen from the finish side, illustrating the fencing mesh being retained onto an upright post by an attachment clip which has been clamped thereonto b y the clamping tool according to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional detail view, taken generally as indicated by section-line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view of a clamping tool according to an embodiment of the invention, in an open condition, holding a connector clip prior to the assembly of the clip onto a fencing installation, this view being on a smaller scale than FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional detail view, taken generally along section-line 44 of FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, a section of chain link fencing mesh 10 is secured to an upright post 12 of a generally H-shape in cross-section (FIG. 2) by a connector clip 14.

The clips 1 are formed of rigid wire rod stock; and in their form in which they are purchased for the fenceinstallation, they are of a general C-shape, as illustrated in FIG. 3. As there shown, the clips 14 have a central portion 16 which is nearly straight; and they have one end-portion considerably bent over, as at 18, and the other end-portion bent substantially less, as at 20, that portion 29 providing a relatively open end of the clipwire disposed at an angle of about ninety degrees to the central clip-portion 16.

In the attachment of such fencing mesh to posts 12 in a highway fencing installation as herein set forth, the connector clip 14 is applied by hooking its most-bent end 18 around the edge of the adjacent flange 22 of the post 12, with the central clip-portion 16 overlying a run of the fencing-mesh 10 which is lying against the postflange 22, and then hooking the relatively open end of the clip 14 over the opposite. edge of the post-flange 22. Then both clip-ends 18 and 20 are forced over farther, more nearly to parallelism with the central clip portion 16, and against the rear or interior surface 24 of the flange 22.

The portion of this numerical description so far set forth forms no part of the present invention. Prior methods utilize clips such as the clips 14 here shown, in the applying method just set forth.

According to concepts of the. present invention, in contrast, a clamping tool 26 is provided, hand actuated as here shown, by which the installer may stand on the finish side of the fencing; and a very tight clamping of the clip 14 is achieved which includes the deformation of a portion of the central clip-portion 16 to effect a very tight clamping of the clip 14 to the post-flange.

This extra deformation, which adds significantly to the tightness of the connection, is illustrated by the bend 28 shown in FIG. 2.

The clamping tool 26, as illustrated in FIG. 3, includes a pair of handles 30, joined near one end by a rivet or the like 32, and having jaws 34 and 36 respectively extending from each of the handles 30.

The jaws 34 and 36 as shown are not identical. One jaw, here shown as the right jaw 34, provides a jaw for the relatively closed clip-end 18, and the left jaw 36 provides a jaw for the relatively open clip-end 36.

Each jaw 34 and 36 is grooved, respectively identified as grooves 38 and 40, to seat or retain the clip 14 against the tool-jaws in the preliminary position of the tool 26 (FIG. 3) in which no force is being exerted onto the tool or clip, and thereafter during the clamping operation.

The clamping force is transmitted to the clip-ends 18 and 20 by the opposed walls of the grooves 38 and 40.

It is particularly to be noted that the jaw 34 is provided with a protruding-portion 42, spaced from the. portion of the jaw which engages the flange-receiving bend 18 of the cl p the portion 42 being located with respect to the clip-seating grooves 38 and 40 in a position such that it will forcefully snub or abuttingly engage the central-clip-portion 16 during or subsequent to the final deformation of the clip-ends 18 and 20, and as an incident to the clip-clamping movement of the tool handles 30 and jaws 34 and 36.

The force thus exerted on the clip-portion 16 by the jaw-protrusion 42 effects the extra deformation or crimping 28 of an unsupported stretch 44 of the central clipportion 16 between the fencing mesh 10 and the postflange 22; and thus advantage is taken of the relatively unsupported nature of that portion 44 of the central clipportion 1 6. That is, the extra deformation or bend 28 is imparted after the closed formation of clip-hooks 18 and 20 is established and is being maintained by pressure of the jaws 34; and the material to accommodate the formation of the bend 28 cannot readily come merely from the inward movement of the hooks 18 and 20 themselves, but from a taking up of slack in that central or overlying portion 16 of the clip 14 and from also a tensile stress being imparted to the clip-portion 16, which causes a considerable tightness of the overall connection.

The particular and significant importance of extra tightness of the connection has been discussed in the introductory portion of the text.

The concepts of the invention are thus seen to co-operate to produce the clip-connection tightness and the other advantages set forth above. Thus the concepts of the invention, as disclosed and illustrated by the disclosed embodiment, accomplish the objects and provide the advantages pointed out and others that are inherent in the invention.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown.

What is claimed is:

1. A tool for clamping stiff, C-shaped wire or rod connector clips, such as are used for connecting fencing material to a supporting member, comprising:

a pair of opposed force-imparting members which are adapted to clampingly retain and embrace the endportions of a said connector clip;

and means to actuate said force-imparting members to bend the end-portions of said connector clip over and around said supporting member to retainingly engage said support member;

and in which means are provided to forcefully engage, and to impart a bend to, an unsupported portion of said clip intermediate the portion thereof which overlies a portion of the material being connected to the support and the adjacent portion of said support.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which:

the said bend-imparting means are carried on one of said force-imparting members.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which;

the said bend-imparting means are adapted to engage the said intermediate portion of said clip as an incident to the clip-clamping actuation of said forceimparting members.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 3, in a combination in which:

the said force-imparting members are movably interconnected, and the said bend-imparting means are carried on one of said force-imparting members hetween the location of said interconnection and the location of engagement of said force-imparting member with the connector-clip end-portion operatively associated therewith.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which:

the said bend-imparting means are adapted to engage the said intermediate portion of said clip during or subsequent to the establishment of the hook-around bent formation of the clips end-portions, such that the material to accommodate said bend of the said intermediate clip-portion is forced to be drawn from said intermediate clip-portion in a manner which results in a tensile stress being imparted to the said clip and thereby assure a tight connection of the clip and associated material to the said supporting member.

6. The invention as set forth in claim 5, in a combina-lation in which:

the said force-imparting members are movably interconnected, and the said bend-imparting means are carried on one of said force-imparting members between the location of said interconnection and the location of engagement of said force-imparting member with the connector clip end portion operatively associated therewith.

'7. The invention as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which:

the tool is a hand tool generally resembling a pair of pliers, having a pair of movably connected arms each providing a handle and a jaw, the two jaws pro- 5 6 viding the said force-imparting members and the two the wall means of at least the last-mentioned forcehandles providing the said actuating means. imparting members is provided by a groove formed 8. The invention as set forth in claim 1, in a combinain the face of said force-imparting member.

tion in which:

the force-imparting members are each formed to pro- References Cited vide a force-imparting wall means which is adapted 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS to clampingly engage a respectlve end-portlon of sad 1 709 8 /1929 Free 140 123 connector clip;

at least one of the aid force-imparting membe being 1,809,386 931 Mason 29 243 adapted t0 retain its respective connector li end- 10 3/1932 l'lgel" 140f123 portion when in a relatively undeformed state and 1,931,576 10/1933 De New 140 55 with the Wall means thereof being spaced fr Sa 2,036,140 936 Hansen 29 -243 clip end-portion at a preliminar state of the clipassembly to the said supporting member, but the CHARLES LANHA Pnmary Exammer wall means thereafter being clampingly engageable 15 E. M. COMBS, Assistant Examiner with said clip end-portion during a subsequent'state of clip-assembly. 9. The invention as set forth in claim 8, in a combination in which: 

